Rajasthan, the perennial favorite of Indian and foreign tourists, is also among the few states that are steadily moving towards development. With numerous intiatives by several officers and ministers, it is fast leaving back its age-old, and often backward-looking traditions. By involving fresh thinkers as officials in the district, the state is paving a way for better living for its citizens.
One name that Rajasthan citizens usually know of when it comes to officials that have made society better is Dr. Arushi Malik. A doctor turned IAS officer, Dr. Malik is a 2005 batch officer from Rajasthan cadre who topped her state and scored an All India Rank of 16!
GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS
Dr. Malik is a nature lover and she proved it when she formed a team of 300 volunteers to plant saplings together at village Khemaru in Dungarpur district. The team planted a whopping amount of 6, 11,137 trees in 24 hours on barren land, without the use of any mechanical equipment! The achievement turned out to be so big that it brought the District Administration a spot on ‘The Guinness Book of World Records.
Beginning at 7:15 PM on 11 th August 2009, the participants dug holes for planting trees, without using any mechanical contraption, throughout the night and began with the planting procedure at sunrise. The trees planted were of species native to the region, mostly fruits, and vegetables.
Dr. Malik, who was coordinating the entire tree-planting drive, stated “We just want to plant. This is not about beating or achieving any record. It’s about creating livelihoods and providing people with food security.”
The land in the district had become barren due to deforestation which led to water shortages and food scarcity. “By planting trees, we will ensure that this does not happen again. It will also help fight against climate change,” stated the officer.
BEAUTIFICATION WITH A MESSAGE
A lover of art, Dr. Malik thinks that the smartness of the people should be highlighted through art. Under the smart city project, she came up with the idea of wall paintings to give her city, a different glow.
She motivated the local artists to come together with the idea of ‘Local ko Vocal’ and work to beautify the city. Her words motivated the artists to appreciate and love their city with an open heart.
During the coronavirus pandemic, Dr. Malik was posted as the Divisional Commissioner in Ajmer city, Rajasthan. She gave her all into fighting the virus and keeping her people safe.
To spread positive messages during the hard-hitting times and make people aware of the guidelines and steps to be taken during the coronavirus spread, the District Administration spread Covid19 awareness through wall painting. Under this, she gathered local artists and motivated them to paint the otherwise dark and barren walls with colors and messages that impart awareness during the time.
SMART CITY PROJECT – AJMER
Dr. Malik played an important role in making Ajmer a smart city. Under Ajmer Smart City Ltd. (ASCL), five different places including the Akbar Fort Museum were renovated and beautified to attract more tourists. Similarly, several regions in the city were landscaped to enhance their beauty.
Another major step taken under the Smart City Project was to improve the sewerage line in the city. ASCL took up this project to stop the dumping of sewerage water and drainage into the Anasagar Lake and will take the water to Khapura Lake on Beawar Road, Ajmer to treat and reuse it.
“ASCL is going to link every household with sewerage line to stop dumping of filthy water into Anasagar Lake as well as to close open drainage system in the city,” she explained.
Ajmer is gradually climbing up on the list of developed and successful cities and the District Administration has a big hand in it.
